Species details

Pear-shaped puffball

Apioperdon pyriforme

Inedible

Description

A small pear-shaped puffball characteristically growing in dense clusters on rotten wood; the mature interior turns into brown spore powder.

Identification features

The fruitbody is 1–5 cm high, pear- to club-shaped, young whitish to pale brown and nearly smooth, later strongly brown. A pore opens at the top when mature.

Identification checklist

Key clues are the pear shape and clustered growth directly on rotten wood. A young specimen should be uniformly solid inside, with no developing gills.

How to separate similar species

Young puffball-like fungi can resemble one another. For food decisions always cut the fruitbody open and inspect the internal structure.

Habitat

Grows in clusters on rotten wood and stumps, often beech in lowlands and also spruce or larch at higher elevations, from late summer to late autumn.